Integrating the Cambridge International Curriculum within the Theology of Christian Education: Biblical Worldview Formation, Kurikulum Merdeka, and Deep Learning for Secondary Christian Schools in Indonesia

Cung, Liuw Tjhin Dji

Edukasia: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Pembelajaran
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024): Edukasia: Jurnal Pendidikan dan Pembelajaran

This article examines the integration of the Cambridge International Curriculum within a theology of Christian education, focusing on biblical worldview formation, alignment with Indonesia’s Kurikulum Merdeka, and the deep learning paradigm in Christian secondary schools. Grounded in the traditions of Christian Religious Education (Pendidikan Agama Kristen/PAK) as developed in Indonesian theological schools under the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the study conceptualizes curriculum integration not as a technical or administrative task but as a theological–pedagogical process shaped by Christian understandings of knowledge, human formation, and educational purpose. Employing a qualitative, theoretical, and policy-oriented approach supported by selected empirical studies on faith-based and international education, this article analyzes how Christian educational theology can inform the implementation of the Cambridge Curriculum at the secondary level—IGCSE/O Level, AS Level, and A Level—within Indonesian SPK (Satuan Pendidikan Kerja Sama) Christian schools. The analysis emphasizes theologically informed curriculum frameworks, intentional faith–learning integration across disciplines, inquiry-based deep learning practices, and sustained teacher formation rooted in Christian epistemology and theological anthropology. The findings indicate that effective integration requires: (1) a curriculum framework explicitly grounded in a theology of Christian education; (2) intentional articulation of biblical worldview across academic subjects; (3) deep learning pedagogies that foster reflective, ethical, and vocationally oriented understanding; and (4) continuous professional formation of teachers as theological and pedagogical agents. When the Cambridge Curriculum is theologically contextualized and aligned with Kurikulum Merdeka, it can support holistic Christian formation by integrating intellectual excellence, moral discernment, spiritual maturity, and vocational awareness. This study contributes to scholarship in Christian education, curriculum theology, and international education while offering policy-relevant insights for theological schools, Christian secondary institutions, and educational authorities in Indonesia.